Now I give you 7 ways to burn an extra 100 calories a day... on top of
your workouts! Do one of these seven things each day (along with your
regular workouts) combined with cutting out the excess calories in your
diet and you will be on your way to weight loss!

Remember 3,500 calories = 1lb, so if you create a 500 calories deficit a
day, combined with cutting and burning calories, you will lose 1lb a
week!

Ready to lose weight? Then you need to follow a healthy diet! Whether
you're looking to drop 5 lbs or 105 lbs, you've got to have the right
combination of diet, nutrition, fitness and motivation to achieve weight
loss success. Learn how to lose weight and diet with blogs written by
experts, and track your meal and exercise with our tracking tools.
Browse through easy tips or watch healthy diet and weight loss videos.
Follow along with your Premium Diet.com Diet Plan or learn about other popular diet programs in our Diets A-Z section.

Weight loss doesn't have to be difficult. Prepare yourself for success with Diet.com's extensive diet tools and resources.

For the longest time, I did not believe this. I refused to use olive oil
and measured out my reduced fat Skippy peanut butter by the
teaspoonful... not okay!

Fats are good for our bodies; they are our second most-used source of
energy and they're what we use when our energy from carbohydrates runs
out. If you ran a marathon fueled on carbohydrates alone you would burn
out... your carbohydrate stores would be depleted and your body would
need to start oxidizing fat to continue providing energy. Fats actually
provide us with more condensed energy than proteins or carbohydrates,
providing us with 9 calories per gram as compared to 4 calories per gram
of protein and carbs. Another great thing about fats: they do not
absorb water so the body will not store excess water with fats as it
will carbohydrates and protein, i.e. less bloating!

In addition to being great for our energy, fats also provide us with
important vitamins and minerals and will give you healthy hair, skin,
and nails.

Be cautious with your fat intake - Here are some examples of good fats and not-so-healthy fats:

Remember you will not get fat by eating fat. We gain weight when we
consume an excess of calories over what we are burning. These calories
do not come exclusively from fats. It is possible to gain weight on a
100% carbohydrate diet so long as you are eating more calories than you
are burning! I wouldn't recommend trying it though!

Avocados are a great source of healthy fats! I love them sprinkled with sunflower seeds too! Don't fear fats!

There's so much fuss about organic foods. The questions beg: what is organic... and why should you and I go organic?

In general, any food that is labeled "organic" must be produced without
artificial fertilizers, synthetic pesticides, bioengineering, or
radiation (used to kill bacteria).
Prior to labeling a product as "organic," a government-approved
certifier must first inspect the farm and ensure that the farmer adheres
to specific standards that are regulated by the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA).

Furthermore, organic crops are produced with earth-friendly processes
using renewable resources to protect the environment for our future
generations. Just as important, animals on organic farms are raised
without antibiotics, genetic modification, or growth hormones.

Is organic food really more expensive than regular food?

Yes... but. By comparing the price of organic food to "regular" food, in
general, you will see a price difference of 30–50% or more at first.
But when you take a minute to think of the side-effects of the 14 Common Foods To Cut Down Or Cut Out
(such as, Artificial Food Colorings, BHT and BHA or other chemical
preservatives, MSG, aspartame, and pesticides), organic foods ...
may not seem expensive after all.

The bottom line is:

1) Choose organic foods if available and possible.

2) Wash all fresh fruits and vegetables thoroughly before eating or cooking.

You could try the following, especially for non-organic fresh fruits and vegetables:

• Squeeze half a lime or lemon into clean water and soak your fruits or
vegetables for five minutes. Then wash or scrub your fresh fruits and
vegetables thoroughly before eating or cooking.

• Or use 100% natural fruits and vegetables wash.

Alternatives:

Try exploring your local "Mom and Pop" grocery stores. Some of them have
already started carrying fresh and packaged organic foods. If you are
lucky, those stores may price their organic foods very competitively
with their conventional foods. As for your favorite chain grocery
stores, they may offer discounts on different organic items on a weekly
or bi-weekly basis.

Cut down on your junk food purchases and save some money for organic food.

If you are eating out, save the money you were spending on soft drinks and desserts, and use it for organic foods instead.

At least three positive things can happen if you substitute soda with water and cut down on desserts:

1. You will have saved enough money to buy organic foods.

2. You can cut down on sugar, salt, MSG, saturated fat and trans fats, naturally.

3. Your self-esteem and confidence will go up because you are able to
control your thoughts and resist those unhealthy foods' temptations.

Alex Ong has experience in the food industry as a marketing
executive. He conquered his obesity and high cholesterol at age 30, when
he developed his own natural weight-loss system, the 5 Color Belts
Eating Formula.

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Audi's
high-performance wagons are icons. The mid-1980s saw the 100/200 Turbo Wagon,
and things got really wild with the RS2 launched in 1994. It was an
over-the-top variation of the Audi 80 Avant created with assistance from
Porsche, powered by a 315-hp version of Audi's 2.2-liter turbo five-cylinder
and wearing wheels from the 964-gen Porsche 911. (Its side mirrors and front
turn signals were from the 993, too.) The RS2 was followed in 1999 by the first RS4, which packed
a 380-hp, 2.7-liter twin-turbo V-6. Audi launched the second-gen RS4 in 2005 with a naturally
aspirated, extremely high-revving 4.2-liter V-8; this powerplant was engineered
by Wolfgang Hatz, now head of Porsche R&D. For the first time, Audi offered
a sedan and a convertible in addition to
the station wagon. The previous-gen RS4 was sold until 2009. One year later,
the RS5 coupe was launched on a
platform shared with the current A4, as a sort of RS4 stand-in.

But
now the RS4 returns—but only as a station wagon, to be launched at the Geneva auto show next month. The engine remains
true to its immediate predecessor, as the car is powered by a 4.2-liter
direct-injected V-8 that produces 450 hp at 8250 rpm. Maximum torque stands at
317 lb-ft and is available from 4000 to 6000 rpm. The performance is more than adequate:
Audi claims a 0-to-62-mph sprint of 4.7 seconds; we’re guessing that’s at least
a few ticks on the conservative side. Top speed is limited to 155 mph unless
you pay to relax the governor, at which point the fun ends at 174 mph.

The
torque delivery is rear-biased, at 40/60-percent; the self-locking crown-wheel
center differential can adjust this ratio almost instantly between 70/30 and
15/85 according to road conditions and driver input. A sports differential that
can distribute the torque between the rear wheels is optional. While the
last-gen RS4 was available only with a slick-shifting six-speed manual, the new
model comes only with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The
driver can use paddles or leave the shifting up to the car entirely. In the
standard Drive Select system’s more-aggressive settings, the car will blip the
throttle to provide rev-matched downshifts.

When
braking on surfaces with different friction coefficients, the speed-sensitive
electromechanical power setup will provide additional input beyond that of the
driver to maintain stability. The car naturally sits lower than its lesser
siblings, and rolls on 19-inch forged-aluminum wheels and 265/35 rubber as
standard; 20-inch wheels fitted with 265/30 tires are optional. The standard
front brake rotors are squeezed by eight-piston calipers, but the piston count
goes down by two should you spec the optional carbon-ceramic discs. The options
list also includes dynamic steering with a speed-sensitive steering ratio and
an electronic damper system. There is at least one nod to those who prefer a
more pure driving experience: The stability-control system can be switched off
entirely.

Audi
has modified the exterior with a wider body that ever-so-slightly recalls the
Ur-Quattro of 1980, and the rear end is punctuated by two large, oval exhaust
tips. The front and rear bumpers and the roof spoiler are unique; the front is
characterized by large, functional air intakes and a silver-painted splitter.
The interior is fitted with sports seats; the standard interior trim is carbon
fiber, but it can be replaced by piano black, stainless-steel mesh, or aluminum
in one of two finishes (brushed matte and something called “Race”). Finally,
there’s a flat-bottomed steering wheel.

The
price is a cool €76,600 in Germany, which includes a 19 percent tax. That's
just about as much as the RS5 coupe. Its competition includes the Cadillac CTS-V wagon and the
Euro-only Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG wagon.
Will we get the RS4 Avant in the U.S.? Probably not. Even the regular A4 Avant
will take a back seat in favor of the A4 Allroad. Bummer

Achtung Heroes: To get the very most out of three scorching coupes, we find it necessary to cross the border.

BY TONY QUIROGA

PHOTOGRAPHY BY MARK BRAMLEY

Magical things can happen when crossing borders: What is illegal on one
side can suddenly become legal on the other. Cross into Holland, for
example, and cough away in a hazy “café” without worrying about posting
bail. Head into Germany, and go every bit as fast as you want, legally.
Or you can drive on Europe’s most famous racetrack. Just head west out
of Frankfurt for a two-hour drive to the village of Nürburg, home to
the 12.9-mile long Nürburgring
Nordschleife circuit. It’s most often rented by big-time race teams and
automakers, but the public is allowed to play on certain days for 23
euros per lap (about $28—plus you get a discount for buying multiple
laps).

What’s more, German drivers are for the most part alert, educated, and
courteous, and every car has to pass a rigorous roadworthiness
inspection to keep rusted-out hulks off the autobahns. In many ways, it
feels like the complete opposite of the American driving experience—in
Germany, you can go 180 mph without fear of an arrest, but flip someone
the bird, and you might end up in jail.

So, to test the latest challengers to our comparison-test champ, the BMW
M3, we flew across the Atlantic, from the land of speed traps to the
land of unlimited speed.

Facing the M3 for the first time is Audi’s new RS5. Looking to avenge the RS4’s loss to an M3 in a December 2007 comparison test,
the RS5 is the latest car to emerge from Audi’s Quattro GmbH
skunkworks. Based on the elegantly sleek A5/S5, the RS5 has its fenders
punched out and its snout stuffed full with a 450-hp, 4.2-liter V-8.
All-wheel drive distributes the power to the 275/30R-20 Pirelli P Zero
tires while a new seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox provides quick shifts
and an amusing launch-control function.

Cadillac has never built a car more perfectly suited to the libertarian nature of the German autobahn than the CTS-V.
Now available with two doors, everything ahead of the windshield is
shared with the sedan, including the 556-hp, 6.2-liter V-8 and six-speed
automatic (a manual is standard). All of the creased sheetmetal from
the steeply raked windshield back to the pointy rump and functional
spoiler/third brake light is unique to the coupe. Other coupe
exclusives—a retuned chassis, a wider rear track (by 0.8 inch), and
reworked steering—give the latest CTS-V an extra shot of alertness.

Now in its fourth year of production, the M3 gets BMW’s newly created,
M3-specific Competition package ($2500) that adds wider 19-inch wheels
(which increases both front and rear tracks by a half-inch), plus
revised tuning for the adaptive shocks and a 0.4-inch-lower suspension.
Otherwise, the 414-hp M3 is unaltered for its latest smackdown with the
Audi and the Cadillac.

It took $2000-plus in premium fuel, more than 1000 miles driven, and a
lot of nights spent guzzling pilsners before the mist cleared and we
were able to decide whether Cadillac or Deutschland is truly über alles.